When the Jon Smith Subs sandwich shop at 10120 W. Forest Hill Blvd. opened its doors one recent morning, it turned a corner from being a part of a small, high-quality, local sandwich chain to now being a member of the West Palm Beach-based United Franchise Group. Robert Perconti is the Port St. Lucie resident who bought the Wellington franchise.
Perconti converted the Jon Smith Subs Wellington location to the new United Franchise Group franchise model. He was happy enough to almost immediately purchase the Royal Palm Beach store, and is about to make some of the same design changes. A former Wall Street investment advisor who retired at 49, Perconti is looking to grow locally with Jon Smith Subs as his next career path.
The locally popular Jon Smith Subs represents United Franchise Group’s first entry into the restaurant segment after decades of selling winning global brands such as Signarama and EmbroidMe. “We are experts at taking a great product or service, and perfecting it to the franchise business model,” United Franchise Group CEO Ray Titus said. “So as long as the product is great, the metrics are good, and there are systems in place that we can perfect, the concept can be franchised.”
Titus ought to know. After launching Signarama three decades ago with his father, the late Roy Titus, he has gone on to launch some of the most successful brands in franchising. Just 18 months ago, his latest foray into Experimac, a reseller of Apple products, proved to be a triumph for him and Jim Muir, the concept’s founder. There are more than 100 locations of that brand in various stages of development.
“There is no reason to believe the same momentum can’t be gained with Jon Smith Subs,” Titus said.
In 1988, when Jon Smith launched his first sandwich shops, which consisted of two restaurants that he bought between other adventures that ranged from motorcycling and small plane flying to horse training and racecar driving, his upgrades fostered enough growth to see seven more restaurants thrive over decades. The chain became known for overstuffed subs and crispy fries by loyal customers who increasingly frequented their local Florida locations. In the process, Smith cultivated a reliable system for consistently delivering superior quality food with friendly table service.
United Franchise Group hailed the brand’s efficiency of system and service, as well as its sandwiches of expertly handled premium meats and vegetables, when it bought the franchising rights in early 2016.
“We really focus on freshness and quality. That’s what attracted me to Jon Smith Subs,” Perconti said. “Our sirloin, whole, trimmed chicken breasts and white Albacore tuna are seasoned, grilled and sliced in each store every day. We slice our garden-fresh vegetables every single morning, and our Italian-style rolls are baked fresh daily.”
United Franchise Group is selling Jon Smith Subs franchises around the world, initially aiming to open 75 U.S. units in 2017. Fifteen new locations have been sold in Florida, and three have been sold in the Atlanta area. The company has a goal of selling a total of 25 Florida locations and 10 Georgia locations in 2017. Plus, global expansion is planned simultaneously.
Founded in 1988, Jon Smith Subs now has nine locations in Palm Beach County. The company plans its first global entrance into Australia by mid-2017 and other international locations soon after. For Jon Smith Subs opportunities, call (888) 978-3171 or visit www.jonsmithsubsfranchise.com.
ABOVE: Robert Perconti recently bought the Wellington Jon Smith Subs franchise, along with another location in Royal Palm Beach.
